University of Texas politics intruded upon an Aggie governor’s trip to Washington this morning as Rick Perry pointedly did not voice support for embattled University of Texas President Bill Powers.

Powers has been facing a barrage of criticism from Perry-appointed university regents.

“My management style is not a secret or should not be,” the longest-serving governor in Texas history told the Texas State Society in Washington today. “They [regents] set policy. They expect their administration to implement policy.”

UT regents appointed by the governor have been critical of Powers, questioning the university’s fund-raising efforts during his tenure. Vicious personal rumors have been spread on campus through anonymous letters. Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a strong backer of Powers, has decried the attacks as “character assassination” and accused some regents of micromanaging UT.

The lieutenant governor recently “grew teary-eyed while decrying Powers’ treatment,” according to a Houston Chronicle editorial. “Dewhurst cited anonymous letters that have circulated among some regents that apparently question Powers’ relationship with his wife, who graduated from the UT Law School 30 years ago while Powers was a professor there.”

State Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, filed a Senate resolution honoring Powers, joining two more resolutions filed in the House by state Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas and chairman of the House Higher Education Committee. All three passed.

Eltife, a UT alumnus, said: “I see a man [in Powers] who shares the love for the University that so many of the current students and former students have for this great institution. I see a man who always puts the university first someone who stands up for what he believes even if it may not be politically popular.”

The resolutions came after regents intensely questioned Powers during their Feb. 13 meeting. The majority of the questions came primarily from three regents: Alex Cranberg, Wallace Hall and Brenda Pejovich, each appointed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2011, which marked the beginning of a more public opposition to Powers by the regents.

Perry strengthened his hold on the UT board of regents yesterday when he appointed three unquestioned loyalists — newcomers Jeff Hildebrand and Ernest Aliseda and incumbent regent Paul Foster.

Today, Perry, who is visiting Washington to attend meetings of the Republican Governors’ Association, did not offer Powers any praise or reassurance.

“That’s between the board of regents and the administration,” Perry said in response to a question. “You need to talk to the board of regents about employment issues.”

Perry did not criticize Powers directly, but he did say that the university’s graduation rate is “frankly unacceptable” and called for higher education that is “more accessible, more affordable and more efficient.”

“The role of the board of regents is to set policy,” Perry told the Texans in attendance. “If there is a conflict there, there is a way to deal with it.”